by Larry Williams | Sep 9, 2014
What plant is found mostly in older landscapes but is poorly available in most local nurseries, is closely related to okra and cotton but is called a rose and produces showy fall flowers that turn from white to pink or red? Give up?
The plant is commonly called confederate rose. Some people call it cotton rose. Its botanical name is Hibiscus mutabilis.
Confederate roses usually begin blooming in late summer and continue to flower well into fall.
Even though it’s frequently referred to as confederate rose, it’s not a member of the rose (rosaceae) family. It belongs to the mallow (malvaceae) family, which includes numerous ornamentals, cotton and okra.
It is a true hibiscus. But, unlike many other ornamental hibiscus species, for some reason it is not usually found in most local garden centers. The plant finds its way into other landscapes simply by one gardener sharing a cutting with another gardener.
It’s easy to propagate. New plants can be started in spring from seed or from 8 inch long terminal cuttings taken during spring, summer and early fall. Cuttings can be rooted in a conventional propagation bed or even in a glass of water.
There are several forms of confederate roses. The cultivar known as ‘Rubus’ has deep pink flowers. ‘Plena’ has double white flowers that change to pink or red on the second day. The older, original types have double flowers that open white in the morning and gradually turn pink in the afternoon.
Even though confederate rose is not very impressive during spring and summer with its cotton or okra like leaves, you may find it a worthwhile landscape plant as it produces its large flowers (some up to 6 inches across) in late summer and fall.
Confederate rose in bloom, Photo Credit: Santa Rosa County Extension
With proper care, a confederate rose should grow into a 15-foot tall bush during a single season. But expect the entire plant to be killed to the ground during the winter. But it usually sprouts rapidly from the crown the following spring. Be careful, too much fertilizer can result in lots of leaves but few blooms.
by Larry Williams | Sep 9, 2014
The Emerald Coast Home Show, Health Fair and Business Expo will include lawn and landscape seminars and an information booth hosted by the Okaloosa County Master Gardeners. This event will take place September 13 and 14 at the Emerald Coast Convention Center, 1250 Miracle Strip Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. The horticulture seminars will be provided by the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Okaloosa County.
A feature of the Emerald Coast Home Show Health Fair and Business Expo will be an information booth hosted by the Okaloosa County Master Gardeners. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening questions and to distribute information pertinent to gardening and lawn care on the Gulf Coast.
In addition to an information booth hosted by Master Gardeners, free educational seminars will be provided. On Sunday, September 14, I will provide a one hour seminar at 1p.m. entitled “Preparing Your Lawn for Fall and Winter.” This presentation will answer questions concerning preparing your lawn for the dormant period of winter. What’s the truth about” winterizer” fertilizers? Do you need to “winterize” your lawn? How should you water your lawn through the fall and winter? Should you overseed your lawn with annual ryegrass? What should you do about winter weeds in your lawn? What lawn pests are active during fall and winter? Learn the answers to these questions and the truth about winter lawn care for North Florida by attending the Preparing Your Lawn for Fall and Winter seminar.
The complete schedule of free seminars includes the following.
Saturday, September 13
11a.m. Margaret Stewart – Herbs, growing, using and preserving
1p.m. Scott Berry – Orchid basics
3 p.m. Karen Kirk-Williams – Great plants for fall and winter color
Sunday, September 14
1 p.m. Larry Williams – Preparing Your Lawn for Fall and Winter
2 p.m. Marie Harrison – Help! Pollinators in peril
The Emerald Coast Home Show, Health Fair and Business Expo will be open September 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and September 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and offers free admission, door prizes and giveaway items along with 100 vendors and free health care evaluations.
Visit www.emeraldcoasthomeshow.com for more information.
by Larry Williams | Aug 4, 2014
Mud dauber, Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Extension
Paper wasp, Photo Credit: UF/IFAS Extension
I respect the fact that wasps can sting when threatened or disturbed. But I also respect the fact that they are beneficial.
Every time I’ve been stung by wasps, I either accidentally disturbed a nest that I didn’t know was there or I intentionally disturbed the nest and paid the price.
Paper wasps are common in Florida. They frequently construct and attach their paper-like nests to building eaves or the ceilings of porches. The adults seek out caterpillars, which they sting and paralyze. They then take the caterpillars back to their nest and place them in individual cells as food for the developing larvae.
I’ve witnessed the paper wasp as it stings and carries away a caterpillar from my vegetable garden. They are busy insects and are doing us gardeners a favor by reducing the population of caterpillars in our landscapes and gardens.
There are other beneficial wasps in Florida. Mud daubers, for example, build their mud-like nests on the sides of buildings close to human activity.
The mud dauber is not as aggressive as the paper wasp. It rarely stings people. It stings and paralyzes spiders. The mud dauber lays an egg on each paralyzed spider and seals it inside a chamber in its earthen nest. Upon hatching, the wasp larva feeds on the body of the spider. An emergence hole is made as the young wasp leaves the mud nest.
It may not be wise to tolerate all wasp species living in close proximity to your home. Even though yellow jackets, a type of wasp, could be considered beneficial, they are too aggressive and too likely to repeatedly sting to have as close neighbors. I also would be concerned with any type of wasp or bee nest existing in close proximity to individuals with a known allergy to insect stings.
Just because an insect has the ability to sting, it’s not all bad. Wasps can serve a beneficial purpose. But you’ll have to decide for yourself how close to you they can build their nests. The front porch may be too close.
by Larry Williams | Jul 15, 2014
Florida Betony (Stachys floridana), commonly called rattlesnake weed, is a Florida native plant. It’s thought to have been confined to Florida until it was moved to other Southeastern states during the 1940s or 1950s in nursery containers. It is now found from Texas to North Carolina. Its square stems are characteristic of the mint family of which it is a member.
Florida Betony foliage & flowers Photo Credits: UF/IFAS Extension
Underground white, fleshy tubers, which resemble a rattlesnake’s rattle in shape, provide the main means of reproduction. Pinkish-purple flowers are followed by a dried fruit that splits open releasing tiny seeds, which are a lesser means of reproduction. The white tubers have been used for hundreds of years as a starchy vegetable and are sometimes boiled like peanuts.
Florida betony weed tubers Photo Credits: UF/IFAS Extension
The tubers make Florida Betony tough to control. Even when above ground foliage and stems are killed due to herbicide use, the tubers allow the regeneration of the plant repeatedly. When attempting to control this weed, it helps to be more persistent than the plant. Many people give up.
Even though it is a perennial, the above-ground portion of the plant grows during fall and spring and becomes dormant during hotter weather.
You can remove the weed by digging, making sure to remove the entire root system (including the tubers). But persistence and patience is required. Herbicide control usually involves repeat applications approved products in lawns. Glyphosate herbicides such as Roundup can be used to control Florida Betony in plant beds. But do not get the herbicide on any green portion of desirable ornamentals.
Always refer to the product’s label for specific uses, application rates and turfgrass tolerance when using any herbicide.
So, why not just dig up the Florida Betony in your lawn and have a native plant feast?
by Larry Williams with content by Matthew Orwat
by Larry Williams | Jul 8, 2014
Making cut before herbicide application Photo Credits: Larry Williams & Sheila Dunning, Okaloosa County Extension Agents
Question: We planted Wisteria for its beautiful spring flowers and it grew and grew and took over everything. Now we’re trying to get rid of it. New plants are sprouting everywhere – up to ten feet away from the original plant. Is there a way to rid our landscape of this now wild plant?
Answer: Chinese Wisteria, Wisteria sinensis, can be a big problem to control. I’ve seen entire fields taken over by it. Yet, many people wonder why you would want to kill a beautiful plant like Wisteria. It’s possible to keep it in bounds for a while (possibly years) in the middle of a lawn with its new shoots arising from roots being routinely mowed. But in many cases, given enough time, shoots coming from roots will escape and then begin to take over – growing on adjacent property, climbing trees, etc.
Application of triclopyr herbicide to cut stump Photo Credits: Larry Williams & Sheila Dunning, Okaloosa County Extension Agents
In order to control an established vine, you must be persistent. Your best bet, outside of moving, is to use a “cut stump” treatment on the main plant and every shoot that sprouts. Use a herbicide that contains triclopyr. Some brand names include Enforcer Brush Killer, Ortho Brush-B-Gon, Ferti-lome Brush Killer-Stump Killer. Cut the main stem (trunk) as close to the ground as possible and as level as possible to facilitate application of the herbicide to prevent sprouting. It is critical to immediately apply the product to the freshly cut “stump.” Stumps that are not treated with the herbicide will sprout. Always follow label directions and precautions and be very careful to not get the product on adjacent desirable plants, including their roots.
Other invasive, undesirable woody plants can be controlled using this method such as Chinese tallow (popcorn tree), Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinensis) and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). For more information, view “Herbicide Techniques for Woody Plant Control”, from UF IFAS Extension .
